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Extreme and Heterogeneous Conditions of the Desert Wetland Chott Ech Chergui (Algeria) Allow Isolating Halophilic, Alkalophilic and Thermophilic Bacteria

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Abstract

Wetlands concentrate biodiversity, particularly in arid regions. Chott Ech Chergui (Algeria), one of the biggest wetlands of the north African desert, presents extreme temperatures and salinity conditions. We initiated a physico-chemical and microbiological survey at seven sites encompassing various conditions (salt lakes, freshwater lakes and hot springs), through a one-year monthly sampling campaign. Four sites under the influence of the spring showed little temporal physio-chemical variation. Three sites displayed higher variation and the aridity level, high from late spring until autumn, was a strong predictor of water chemistry. We evidenced extremophile bacteria. Among 320 bacterial isolates tested for thermo-, acido- and alcalino- tolerance, 39, affiliated to Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, were successfully maintained and underwent physiological, biochemical and molecular characterizations. Thermotolerance was recorded up to 100 °C for a water isolate affiliated to Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Halotolerance was recorded up to 30% NaCl (w:v) for soil isolates affiliated to Salinicola zeshunii, Chromohalobacter beijerinckii and Virgibacillus halodenitrificans. Acido- and alcalo- tolerance were recorded for a pH range from 5 to 11 for several soil and water isolates affiliated to Exiguobacterium, Bacillus, Salinicola and Chromohalobacter genus. Our results comfort the interest of studying extremophile diversity in wetlands of the highly arid Sahara region.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Rabahi and C. Mehali for their contribution to the field work, M. Meliani, S. Nil and the SEOR ORAN compagnie for their help to measure water physicochemistry and to complete microbiological analyses. We are grateful to the “Service Commun de Biologie Moléculaire” at IMBE for providing facilities and technical assistance during DNA manipulation.

Funding

This work was supported by Campus France and the France—Algeria Hubert Curien partnership “Tassili” under Grant Agreement No 42200XF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Aquaculture Et Bioremédiation (AquaBior), Université Oran1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran, Algeria

    Aicha Mehirou Zouggar, Sidi Mohammed El Amine Abi Ayad & Sid Ahmed Chawki Lamara

  2. Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France

    Aicha Mehirou Zouggar, Pascal Mirleau & Anne Chenuil

  3. Station de Biologie Marine de Concarneau, UMR BOREA (Biologie Des Organismes Et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques), MNHN/CNRS, 7208/IRD 207/UPMC, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 29900, Concarneau, France

    Francoise Denis

  4. Laboratoire BIOSSE (Biologie Des Organismes: Stress, Santé, Environnement), Le Mans Université, 72085, Le Mans Cedex 9, France

    Francoise Denis & Aurore Caruso

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  1. Aicha Mehirou Zouggar
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Abi Ayad Sidi Mohammed El Amine, Lamara Sid Ahmed Chawki, Mehirou Zouggar Aicha, Denis Francoise, Caruso Aurore; Methodology: Mehirou Zouggar Aicha, Pascal Mirleau, Chenuil Anne; Formal analysis and investigation: Mehirou Zouggar Aicha, Pascal Mirleau, Chenuil Anne; Writing—original draft preparation: Mehirou Zouggar Aicha, Pascal Mirleau; Writing—review and editing: Mehirou Zouggar Aicha, Pascal Mirleau, Chenuil Anne, Denis Francoise; Funding acquisition: Chenuil Anne, Abi Ayad Sidi Mohammed El Amine; Resources: Pascal Mirleau, Chenuil Anne, Abi Ayad Sidi Mohammed; Supervision: Pascal Mirleau, Chenuil Anne.

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Correspondence to Pascal Mirleau.

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Zouggar, A.M., Mirleau, P., Chenuil, A. et al. Extreme and Heterogeneous Conditions of the Desert Wetland Chott Ech Chergui (Algeria) Allow Isolating Halophilic, Alkalophilic and Thermophilic Bacteria. Wetlands 43, 108 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01757-5

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